Package opener



E. J. MALLEN 2,140,021

PACKAGE OPENER Filed April 27, 1937 2 10 3 1 .Z yZ,

1 INVENTOR. BY j'dwraffialleia v M ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 13, 1938 Edward J. Mallen, Davenport, Iowa Application April 27, 1937, Serial No. 139,139

2 Claims.

This invention relates to package openers and is herein disclosed as embodied in a cutting device wrapped into the partially rigid type of package which derives its shape more or less from the resilient contents contained therein. Such containers are most widely used to hold the more common brands of cigarettes. This invention is described as applied to the package of cigarettes just mentioned but it is to be understood that the contents are not to be restricted to cigarettes.

The opening of the type of cigarette package just described, particularly when enveloped in an outer wrapper of Cellophane, is in most instances an annoying and disagreeable operation, requiring at the moment the full attention and considerable finger strength of the person who is opening the package. Some persons have to resort to the use of some suitable instrument to open the package. The length of time required to open the package in the usual manner is all out of proportion to the simple result achieved. Various devices have been proposed for opening such and other types of packages, but they are subject to many objections. Some required expensive modifications in design of the package with consequent costly changes in the packing machinery. Some involved sharp metal cutters that necessitated careful handling by the user, lest he be cut; or required the application of undue pressure to the package in operating the cutter, with the consequent crumpling of the package and distortion ofthe contents. Some required that after the pointed metal cutter was pushed through one edge of package it be bent back, ripping top of package with it, thus leaving a ragged. opening. It requires undue strength to bend back the pointed metal cutter with one finger, at same time ripping top of package, with the likely possibility of cutting or puncturing the finger on the point of the cutter. Some required the cutter to start the cut by puncturing one of the end folds at mid-point, the cutter point having first todistend the package top before being able to pierce the fold. This necessitated that the thumb, applying the pressure at one end of top, force the edge of wrapper well into contents of the package, in its effort to drive the point through the extended fold at other end. The effort involved excessive pressure, as contents of package had to be unduly compressed if not damaged.

In the present invention, these and other objections and difiiculties are overcome. A simple device is provided which is safe, reliable, operable subconsciously in a few seconds with minimum effort, and ideally adapted to quantity production with insignificant increase in cost per package. Other features will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a side view of the cutting device. 5

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 2- -2 ofFigure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a cigarette packet containing the device, see the dotted lines.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic top view of the packet as received by the prospective user.

Figure 5 is a similar view showing the initial step in the operation of the cutter.

Figures 6 to 9 show the successive steps in opening the packet. 2a.

Figure 10 is an enlarged view of the point of the cutter.

The form of opener or cutting device It shown in dotted lines in FiguresB and 4 lies adjacent the internal face of the top H of the usual cigarette packet under the usual folded-down end flaps I2 and I3 of the top H, and the superposed flaps I4 and revenue stamp I5. It fits snugly and in no way distorts the package.

To open the packet shown the user presses the thumb of his hand holding the package against the fold I6 of the flap I2, thereby pressing against the flat base H of the device III which lies adjacent the fold. This forces the blunt point I8 against the inside of the fold I'9at the opposite -"7 end of the top I I and thrusts the point I8 through the fold I9 adjacent to it. The fold to be pressed is shown as marked Press edge with thumb.

The point I8 punctures the fold I9 at the corner of the package, where the package is comparatively rigid. At the very first application of pressure the wrapper along fold I9 becomes taut which makes it very easy to puncture and thus start the out, without any travel of v the cutter being wasted in distending the package.

When the user hasthrust .the point I8 to the Figure 5 position partially cutting the fold I9, the roughened faces 20 adjacent the point I8 are exposed and the user may then seize the device Ill by these roughened faces and pull it out to the Figure 6 position, the slightly convex diagonal double beveled edge 2I meanwhile completely cutting through the fold I9 for the whole width of the top I I.

Since the beveled edge 2| lies normally well within the packet where it cannot cut anyone, it may be as sharp as is needed for easy cutting, but the point I 8 is preferably fairly blunt so that it will not accidentally injure anyone. Such bluntness does not interfere with its puncturing the fold l9 fairly easily to start the opening of the packet.

The point I8 is formed by the intersection of curved edge 2| with the straight edge 3|, both marked also in Figure 1. The double-bevel on edge 2| is discontinued just before the tip of point I8 is reached; the narrow faces of the two edges 2| and 3|, as they intersect to form the tip of point l8, being square with top and bottom surfaces of the cutter. The very tip of the point I8 is thus a short line as long as the thickness of the material used in forming the cutter. The point l8 may be made sharper or duller by respectively increasing or decreasing the radius of the curved edge 2|. The shaping of the point I 8, is such that the point will not injure the finger, particularly if the top of the package is pressed from the wrong end.

When the cutting device l0 has arrived at the Figure 6 position, nearly half way out of the package, and having completely cut the fold I9 by beveled edge 2 I, the user ma'yswing itto the right to the Figure '7 position, cutting the side fold22 down to the point 23 by the concave double beveled edge 24 which may be as sharp as desired, and being concave is where it can harmno one while in the packet. Then the user may swing the cutting device to the left as shown in Figure 8 so that the concave double beveled edge 25 cuts the side fold 26 down to the point 21 about the same distance as the edge out the fold 22. The beveled edge 25 may be as sharp as the edge 24, for the same reason, and, of course, either edge may cut first.

It is to be noted that the angle at which the concave edges and 25 cut the respective folds 22 and 25 remains fairly uniform for the length of cut shown along each fold. The angle is also that angle at which the leastresistance to cutting is encountered. If desired the length of out along folds 22 and 26 may be increased toalmost the full length of fold by rotating the cutter through a greater arc to right and left. This increased length of cut may be desirable, if his the intent to remove the entire top of package by tearing along the one remaining uncut fold.

The edge 25, where it runs into the edge 2|, preferably is blunted as shown at 28, so a finger of the user may comfortably press against it in cutting the fold 22.

To prevent the sides 29 and 3l|ofthe cutting device l0 adjacent the base H from cutting through the adjacent folds of the packet, they are left flat or slightly rounded and are preferably rounded up from the base I! to fit theadjacent corners of the package. Likewise the side 3| of the cutter l0 near the point |8 which lies against the fold 22 is fiat or slightly rounded for the same reason.

Cutter has been realigned, as shown in Figure 9, with the top of the package and at same time withdrawn, leaving a neat flap 32 which has been bent back along line 33 between limiting points of cut 23 and 21, exposing the contents; in this,

figure cigarettes 34. The cutter may now be discarded, or reversed end for end and thrust through the cut fold l9 back under the still uncut flaps of the top H the cutter to be used as an extra cover over opening or to retain shape of top of package.

The cutter I0 may be made of thin sheet of wood, or fiber-board, or metal, or celluloid, or other suitable material. A hard close-grained Wood is about as suitable material as any; as the cutter being shaped as it is, no ordinary amount of machining, such as encountered in quantity production would make the double-beveled edges sufficiently sharp as to cut the fingers. If metal or other material susceptible to keen edge is used, care will have to be exercised not to obtain an edge so sharp that it will cut the fingers.

The cutter is sealed closely and compactly under top cover of package, without any connection with outside of package, until pressure is applied to the base end of cutter through the adjacent fold of the wrapper, which forces the point through the wrapper, in corner at the opposite end.

This opener makes a neat quick out along three connected edges of top of package so that a flap is formed which may be bent back and contents readily extracted. It does its work safely and with little effort. With few trials one becomes surprisingly adept in the operation.

Having thus described certain embodiments of the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A cutter in', the form of a fiat member adapted to lie upon an internal face of a package, a blunt point at one endadapted to lie near one end of the package, a base bywhich the cutter is adapted to be pushed to thrust the point through the face of the package, a Straight unsharpened side near the point adapted to guide the point straight ahead, a cutting edge on the end beginning near the point to cut the face of the package, and concave side cutting edges to cut the adjacent faces of the package.

2. A cutter in the form of a flat member adapted to lie upon an internal face of a package, a blunt point at one end adapted to lie near one end of the package, a base by Which the cutter is adapted to be pushed to thrust the point through the face of the package, a straight unsharpened side near the point adapted to guide the point straight ahead; a cutting edge on the end beginning near the point to cut the face of the package, and concave side cutting edges to cut the adjacent faces of the package and rounded ends on the base adjacent the side cutting edges.

' EDWARD J. MALLEN. 

